Many drugs are not reconciled when patients leave hospitals

All too many patients are still being discharged from hospitals with inadequate medication instructions, incomplete prescriptions, or another patient's prescription or medication instructions. That's one of the findings from the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, which studied more than 800 reports submitted by hospitals in the state from June 2004 to December 2007. To help facilities improve their discharge planning, check out this article on the organization's Web site, "Care at Discharge-Critical Juncture for Transition to Posthospital Care." The Pennsylvania authority has also put out a sample checklist to help hospital staff assess that all discharge items are completed before the patient leaves the facility.